Doctors at the National Hospital in Colombo said eight policemen and two civilians were killed and more than 85 people were wounded in the blast, which happened in a commercial quarter of the capital near the Hilton Hotel.

The area is a high security zone that is also the site of the Sri Lanka’s presidential office and military headquarters.

The military blamed the attack on Tamil Tiger rebels, who want an independent state in the north and east of the island. The Tigers, who routinely deny involvement in such attacks, were not immediately available for comment.

“The target was a police bus and a motorbike had crashed into the police bus,” said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa condemned the attack and appealed for calm.

“With this bomb attack on a busy street, the LTTE has once again demonstrated to the world its total commitment to violence and terror to achieve its separatist goals,” he said.

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